Threader for sewing machine needles



Jan. 15, 1957 E. FEHLMANN THREADER FOR SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES Filed Feb. 16, 1954 ain JNVENTOR. 5/44410 F'A Z A/V/V BY United States Patent THREADER FOR SEWING MACHINE NEEDLES Ewald Fehlmann, Zurich, Switzerland Application February 16, 1954, Serial No. 410,547

Claims priority, application Switzerland February 18, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-99) The present invention relates to a threader for sewing machine needles. The threader comprises a holder with wedge-shaped notches arranged crosswise at right angles to each other at the front end, and with a leaf spring anchored in the holder and projecting with its end over the crossing point of the apices of the notches when the holder is set with the vertical notch onto the needle, the leaf spring is intended to pass through the eye of the needle and thus to pull therethrough the thread laid in the horizontal notch and over the end of the leaf spring.

With the threader according to the invention even persons with poor eyesight can thread sewing machine needles quickly and easily.

The holder is preferably made of synthetic resin or light metal.

The accompany ng drawing shows by way of example a preferred embodiment of the object of invention.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the front end of the threader in the process of threading a sewing machine needle;

Fig. 2 is a detail of Fig. 1, showing the position of the leaf spring during threading;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the threader;

Fig. 4 is the threader as seen from the front, and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line VV of Fig. 3.

The illustrated threader has a holder 1 of rectangular cross-section, whose rear end is provided with a ringed handle 2. The front end of said holder has two wedgeshaped notches 3 and 4 crossing each other, the flanks of the notch 4 being of convex configuration. The vertical wedge-shaped notch 3, Whose middle plane extends parallel to the longer cross-section side of the holder, is intended for setting against the sewing machine needle 5. The horizontal wedge-shaped notch 4, at right angles to notch 3, serves for laying-in the end of the sewing machine thread 6 that has to be inserted into the eye of the needle. 4a marks an extension of the notch 4, extending rearwardly of notch 3 into the holder. Numeral 7 designates a leaf spring or tongue secured in the holder and having its front end projecting somewhat beyond the crossing point of the apices of the notches 3 and 4. The leaf spring 7 lies in the plane bisecting the angle of the vertical notch 3, and has at its front end a recess 8 (Fig. 2). In the illustrated embodiment the holder is made from synthetic resin.

As may be seen from Figs. 1 and 5, the end 6 of the thread to be inserted is laid into the horizontal notch 4, 4a, at least the portion at one side of the notch being held by the hand that holds the threader and the portion at the other side of the notch by the other hand, so that the thread runs over the recess at the front end of the leaf spring 7. Now the threader is set against the needle with its vertical notch 3 above the eye thereof, so that the leaf spring engages the groove 9 of the needle 5. After that, the threader is slidably moved downwards until the leaf spring 7 registers with and falls into the eye of the needle. The thread led over the end of the 2. spring is thereby pushed through the eye of the needle, forming a loop. Then the loop pushed therethrough can be drawn further by hand until also the end of the threadis drawn through the eye, and simultaneously the threader can be withdrawn. The needle is thus threaded.

It is understood that the threader described hereinbefore may also be made of a material other than synthetic resin, say, of metal, preferably of a light-metal alloy.

It can thus be seeen that there has been provided in accordance with the invention a threading device for the eye of a needle to receive a thread, which device includes a holder provided with a pair of wedge-shaped notches intersecting each other at right angles, adjacent opposite faces at the forward ends defining said notches being curvilinearly shaped, and a springy tongue fixed in said holder and extending edgewise with its free end beyond the intersection of said notches, said tongue lying in a plane bisecting the angle of one of said notches and extending into the other of said notches, the end of said tongue remote from said holder being provided with a recess forming a seat for said thread to facilitate retention of the same in predetermined position relative to the eye of the needle, whereby upon placing a thread in said one notch and across said recess of said tongue and upon placing said needle in said other notch, movement of said holder longitudinally of said needle will cause said tongue and said thread thereacross to register with and pass through the eye of said needle for threading purposes.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A threading device for a needle having an eye for receiving a thread comprising a holder provided with a pair of wedge-shaped notches intersecting each other at right angles, adjacent opposite faces at the forward ends defining said notches being curvilinearly shaped, and a springy tongue fixed in said holder and extending edgewise with its free end beyond the intersection of said notches, said tongue lying in a plane bisecting the angle of one of said notches and extending into the other of said notches, the end of said tongue remote from said holder being provided with a recess forming a seat for said thread to facilitate retention of the same in predetermined position relative to the eye of the needle, whereby upon placing a thread in said one notch and across said recess of said tongue and upon placing said needle in said other notch, movement of said holder longitudinally of said needle will cause said tongue and said thread thereacross to register with and pass through the eye of said needle for threading purposes.

2. A threading device according to claim 1, wherein said other notch is shorter in depth than said one notch, whereby the said needle is guided forwardly of said free end of said tongue.

3. A threading device for a needle having a guide groove and an eye for receiving a thread comprising a holder provided with a pair of wedge-shaped notches intersecting each other at right angles, adjacent opposite faces at the forward ends defining said notches being curvilinearly shaped, and a springy tongue fixed in said holder and extending edgewise with its free end beyond the intersection of said notches, said tongue lying in a plane bisecting the angle of one of said notches and extending into the other of said notches, the end of said tongue remote from said holder being shaped to fit said guide groove and provided with a recess forming a seat for said thread to facilitate retention of the same in predetermined position relative to the eye of the needle, whereby upon placing a thread in said one notch and across said recess of said tongue and upon placing said needle in said other notch, movement of said needle in crosswise Patented Jan. 15,1957

' References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS Lassen Mar. 17,1908

7 Anderson Mar. 27, 1917 Vogel Sept. 9, 1952 Hoeckele Ian. 26, 9 4' FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Sweden Feb.r3. 1953 

